Hair cutting brushroll

Abstract

A surface cleaning apparatus comprising a cleaning head and a brushroll. The cleaning head includes a cleaning head body having an agitator chamber including an opening on an underside of the cleaning head body. The brushroll is rotatably mounted to the cleaning head body such that a portion of the brushroll extends below the underside for directing debris into the opening. The brushroll includes an elongated body extending laterally between a first and second end region, a slit opening extending between the first and second end region, angular stationary teeth extending proximate to an edge of the slit opening, and a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit opening and to move laterally between the first and second end regions. The cutting blade bar includes teeth that are configured to engage with the stationary teeth to cut hair.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An apparatus comprising:
 a brushroll configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis, the brushroll including:
 an elongated body extending laterally between a first end region and a second end region; 
 a slit disposed between the first end region and the second end region; 
 one or more angular stationary teeth extending proximate to at least one edge of the slit opening of the elongated body and between the first and second end regions; and 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to cycle between the first and second end regions, wherein the cutting blade bar comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more angular stationary teeth to cut hair; 
 
 wherein the cutting blade is configured to continuously cycle while the brushroll rotates about said longitudinal axis. 
 
     
     
       2. The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a cleaning head, wherein the brushroll further includes a cutting blade actuator and wherein the surface cleaning apparatus further includes a blade driver, wherein the cutting blade actuator is configured to be coupled to the blade driver for cycling the cutting blade within the slit opening. 
     
     
       3. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the blade driver is configured to urge the cutting blade actuator and the cutting blade actuator is configured to translate the force imparted by the cutting blade driver into cycling of the cutting blade relative to the slit opening. 
     
     
       4. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 3 , wherein the blade driver is configured to be coupled to an electric motor. 
     
     
       5. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the blade driver is configured to reduce the cycling rate of the cutting blade relative to the rotation rate of the brushroll. 
     
     
       6. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the blade driver is also configured to rotate the brushroll. 
     
     
       7. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the blade driver comprises a reduced belt driver. 
     
     
       8. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 5 , wherein the blade driver comprises a gear reduction blade driver. 
     
     
       9. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cutting blade is configured to synchronously cycle with the rotation of the brushroll. 
     
     
       10. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprising a blade base configured to be at least partially received in and coupled to a groove formed in the elongated body, the blade base defining at least a portion of the slit opening and including at least some of the stationary teeth. 
     
     
       11. The surface cleaning apparatus of  claim 10  further comprising:
 a one or more stationary tooth strips configured to provide a closure force between the blade base and the groove formed in the elongated body and prevent ingress of debris into the groove; and 
 one or more moving cutting blade strips configured to prevent ingress of debris into the slit opening. 
 
     
     
       12. A robotic vacuum cleaner comprising:
 a cleaning head including a cleaning head body having one or more agitator chambers, the agitator chambers including one or more openings on an underside of the cleaning head body; and 
 a brushroll configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis, the brushroll including:
 an elongated body extending laterally between a first end region and a second end region; 
 a slit disposed between the first end region and the second end region; 
 one or more stationary teeth extending proximate to at least one edge of the slit between the first and second end regions; and 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to continuously cycle back and forth between the first and second end regions while the brushroll rotates about said longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting blade bar comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut debris wrapped around the brushroll. 
 
 
     
     
       13. The robotic vacuum cleaner of  claim 12 , further including a cutting blade actuator and a blade driver, wherein the cutting blade actuator is configured to be coupled to the blade driver for cycling the cutting blade within the slit. 
     
     
       14. The robotic vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the blade driver is configured to urge the cutting blade actuator and the cutting blade actuator is configured to translate the force imparted by the cutting blade driver into cycling of the cutting blade relative to the slit. 
     
     
       15. The robotic vacuum cleaner of  claim 13 , wherein the blade driver is configured to reduce a cycling rate of the cutting blade relative to a rotation rate of the brushroll. 
     
     
       16. A brushroll comprising:
 an elongated body configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second opposite end region; 
 a slit extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 one or more stationary teeth disposed proximate to at least one edge of the slit; and 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to continuously cycle along the longitudinal axis while the brushroll rotates about said longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting blade bar comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut hair. 
 
     
     
       17. The brushroll of  claim 16  further including a cutting blade actuator configured to be coupled to a blade driver for cycling the cutting blade within the slit. 
     
     
       18. The brushroll of  claim 17 , wherein the cutting blade actuator is configured to translate a force imparted by the cutting blade driver into cycling of the cutting blade relative to the slit. 
     
     
       19. The brushroll of  claim 13 , wherein a cycling rate of the cutting blade is less than a rotation rate of the brushroll. 
     
     
       20. The brushroll of  claim 13 , wherein the cutting blade is configured to synchronously cycle with the rotation of the brushroll. 
     
     
       21. A brushroll comprising:
 an elongated body configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second opposite end region; 
 a slit extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 one or more stationary teeth disposed proximate to at least one edge of the slit; 
 a sliding tooth bar configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to move along the longitudinal axis, wherein the sliding tooth bar comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut hair; and 
 one or more springs or compressible gaskets configured to supply a closing pressure between the slit and the sliding tooth bar. 
 
     
     
       22. The brushroll of  claim 21 , wherein the one or more springs or compressible gaskets are configured to prevent hair from folding between the one or more stationary teeth and the sliding tooth bar. 
     
     
       23. A brushroll comprising:
 an elongated body configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second opposite end region; 
 a groove formed in the elongated body and extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 a blade base received in the groove and forming at least a portion of a slit extending along the longitudinal axis, the blade base comprising a body and a plurality of stationary teeth extend from the body along at least one edge of the slit; 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to move along the longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting blade comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut hair; and 
 one or more strips between the groove and the blade base configured to provide a closure force between the blade base and the cutting blade. 
 
     
     
       24. The brushroll of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more strips are located below the stationary teeth. 
     
     
       25. The brushroll of  claim 23 , wherein the one or more strips are at least partially disposed within a slot. 
     
     
       26. The brushroll of  claim 25 , wherein the slot is formed in a sidewall of the groove formed in the elongated body. 
     
     
       27. A brushroll comprising:
 an elongated body configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second opposite end region; 
 a slit extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 one or more stationary teeth disposed proximate to at least one edge of the slit; 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to move along the longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting blade comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut hair; and 
 one or more lubricious strips between the slit and the cutting blade. 
 
     
     
       28. The brushroll of  claim 27 , wherein the one or more strips are located below the stationary teeth. 
     
     
       29. The brushroll of  claim 27 , wherein the slit is formed by the elongated body. 
     
     
       30. The brushroll of  claim 27 , further comprising:
 a groove formed in the elongated body and extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 a blade base received in the groove and forming at least a portion of the slit, the blade base comprising a body and the plurality of stationary teeth extend from the body along at least one edge of the slit. 
 
     
     
       31. The brushroll of  claim 30 , wherein the one or more strips are at least partially disposed within a slot formed in a sidewall of the groove formed in the elongated body. 
     
     
       32. A brushroll comprising:
 an elongated body configured to rotate about a longitudinal axis and having a first and a second opposite end region; 
 a slit extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 one or more stationary teeth disposed proximate to at least one edge of the slit; 
 a cutting blade configured to be at least partially received within the slit and to move along the longitudinal axis, wherein the cutting blade comprises one or more teeth that are configured to engage with the one or more stationary teeth to cut hair; and 
 one or more strips between the slit and the cutting blade configured to provide a closure force between the cutting blade and the slit. 
 
     
     
       33. The brushroll of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more strips are configured to form a seal between the slit and the cutting blade. 
     
     
       34. The brushroll of  claim 32 , wherein the one or more strips are located below the stationary teeth. 
     
     
       35. The brushroll of  claim 32 , wherein the slit is formed by the elongated body. 
     
     
       36. The brushroll of  claim 32 , further comprising:
 a groove formed in the elongated body and extending along the longitudinal axis; 
 a blade base received in the groove and forming at least a portion of the slit, the blade base comprising a body and the plurality of stationary teeth extend from the body along at least one edge of the slit. 
 
     
     
       37. The brushroll of  claim 36 , wherein the one or more strips are at least partially disposed within a slot formed in a sidewall of the groove formed in the elongated body.